“There is no monopoly on common sense, on either side of the political fence.”
– Russians. Sting, 1985.
I learned this week…
…that the gender of certain species of tortoise is determined by incubation temperature. Who knew? Becomingcliche did, that’s who. Check out her blog for some more fun facts from the reptile house.
…on this day in history, Ronald Reagan said:
I think in recent years, we have lost sight of this unifying concept of American brotherhood. If the current political climate is any indication, I don’t think we are destined to rediscover it any time soon, either.
…that procrastination is an art form that must be nurtured and practiced if one is to become sufficiently proficient. This weekend I was supposed to write a paper on the socialization process of Palestinian children growing up in the war-torn region of Gaza, specifically Rafah. Instead, I decided to do a little cleaning – or clearing, if you will. I completely cleared off my DVR. Wasted an entire day doing it, too.
…that the film Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy is a brilliant and spellbinding Cold War era political thriller. If you like this sort of thing, which I do, I recommend that carve out a little time to see this one. You will not be sorry. It is based on the 1974 novel of the same name by John le Carre. I will admit that I have not read the novel, and I understand that doing so will give clarity to certain aspects of the movie, however, I didn’t feel that this hindered my overall understanding of the plot. Check it out. Or don’t. Whatever.
Check out bookfilmblog’s review for a better understanding of the film.
…that there was an entire season (to present) of Once Upon a Time episodes piled up in my DVR queue. I don’t like clutter, therefore, it was necessary (from a mental health standpoint) for me to rectify this situation. I spent all of this past Sunday watching nothing but episode upon episode of this ABC show. I initially set the timer for my daughter. No, really. I had no intention of giving this show that time of day. It was about fairy tales and princesses and crap. I don’t do princesses. I do murder and intrigue. My preconceived notions are rarely wrong (stop laughing), but I’ve got to say that this show sucked me in. Sure, it has a sort of odd dual storyline that takes a bit of getting used to, but it is surprisingly well written and totally unexpected. I love a show that leaves me gaping at the television in stunned silence. Example: Red Riding Hood (in the fairy tale world) is not a victim of the big bad wolf, she IS the wolf – who just ate her own lover.
Whoa.
…that one goes through stages similar to those of grief when coming to terms with failure. I have moved into the acceptance phase.
I’ve accepted that my novel is crap.
Stay tuned for my Sunday updates (yes, I promise to be better about posting them) as I start the writing process all over again. I think this time will be better. It has to be better, right? Right? Hello?
***Warning – Pet Peeve of the Week***
…that I am a stickler for personal space. Johnny Castle once said:
“This is my dance space. This is your dance space. I don’t go into yours, you don’t go into mine.”
That Johnny Castle was a smart guy. Cute, too.
I digress.
I was patiently waiting for the cute little girl at Target to ring up my purchases the other day. Beep, beep, beep. As I waited, a woman, not much older than me, pushed her buggy into line behind me, unloaded her groceries, and then came to stand next to me. Right next to me. I mean, so close that our elbows brushed. It was all I could to keep myself from having one of those impulsive ticks. You know, the one where your fist balls up all by itself and clocks the person standing next to you.
…and finally, this week’s awww moment is brought to you by this little…um…rodent. Hamster? Kangaroo mouse? I don’t really know what it is, but it sure is cute. I also do not have the original source, and I sort of think it may have been manipulated, but I don’t care about all that nonsense. It’s cute. It made me smile. That’s all that matters.
Of Bears and Boating 